Assignment Week 6 [PDF]

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PRACTICING WITH THE AUTHOR’S STRATEGIES ACTIVITY DD CRITICAL READING: THE AUTHOR’S STRATEGIES 1 Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow them. (Answers on page 87) From “You Are How You Eat” by Enid Nemy The most irritating of all ice cream eaters are the elegant creatures who manage to devour a whole cone with delicate little nibbles and no dribble. The thermometer might soar, the pavement might melt, but their ice cream stays as firm and as rounded as was in the scoop. No drips, no minor calamities–and it’s absolutely not fair, but what can you do about it? Some of the strangest ice cream fans can be seen devouring sundaes and banana splits. They are known as “layer by layer” types. First they eat the nuts and coconut and whatever else is sprinkled on top. Then they eat the sauce; then the banana, and finally the ice cream, flavor by flavor. Some might feel that they are eating ingredients and not a sundae or a split, but what do they care? ________1. The main audience for "You Are How You Eat" is a. people who eat a lot of ice cream. b. the general reading public. c. anyone who likes watching other people eat. d. people who read magazines about ice cream. ________2. The author's purpose in writing this reading is to a. inform. b. narrate. c. describe. d. entertain. ________3. The author's tone in this reading is a. annoyed. b. nostalgic. c. humorous. d. frustrated. ACTIVITY EE CRITICAL READING: THE AUTHOR'S STRATEGIES 2 Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow it. (Answers on page 87.)



From "Home" in Steps in Composition, by Lynn Quitman Troyka and Jerrold Nudelman These days Americans of all ages lead such hectic lives that home is often little more than a place to sleep and change clothes. Family members see each other in passing; they seldom share activities, let alone a daily meal. In the morning, Mom and Dad rush off to work at 7:30 and the children leave for school a half hour later. At 3:30, Betty goes directly from school to her part-time job at Burger King. After returning to an empty house, Jason goes out to play for a while and then eats dinner alone. When his parents arrive home at 6:30, he is in his bedroom doing his homework. When Betty comes in the door a few hours later, she yells a quick hello to her parents, grabs some leftovers from the refrigerator, and heads for her room to eat at and relax. Because the family members have different schedules, they have little chance to spend time with each other. ________1. The main audience for “Home” is a. people who miss their families. b. people who have never married. c. people who are interested in American families. d. people who have a busy family life. ________2. The author's purpose in writing this reading is to a. inform. b. persuade. c. entertain. d. argue. ________3. The author's tone in this reading is a. angry. b. humorous. c. annoyed. d. straightforward. ACTIVITY FF CRITICAL READING: THE AUTHOR’S STRATEGIES 3 Read the following and answer the questions that follow them. (Answers on page 87.) From “American Schools Should Take a Lesson from Japan” in Steps in Composition, by Lynn Quitman Troyka and Jerrold Nudelman It is a widely accepted fact that many of America’s schools are doing a poor job of educating the nation's young people. Research studies indicate that



about 30 percent of American high school students drop out before graduating. In some high school systems, fewer than half of the students who enter ever graduate. We should not be surprised, then, that one in four Americans is illiterate —unable to read and write at the most basic level. What can be done? American schools should take a lesson from Japan, where strict rules of behavior, very demanding school schedules, and high academic standards have produced nearly 100 percent literacy. ________1. The main audience for this reading is a. people who believe American schools should lower graduation standards. b. people who believe American schools are working. c. people who are interested in American schools. d. people who are interested in Japanese schools. ________2. The author's purpose in writing this reading is to a. expose. b. narrate. c. entertain. d. describe. ________3. The author’s tone in this reading is a. concerned. b. naive. c. pessimistic. d. hopeless. ACTIVITY GG CRITICAL READING: THE AUTHOR’S STRATEGIES 4 Read the following and answer the questions that follow them. (Answers on page 87.) From Baseball Anecdotes. By Daniel Okrent and Steve Wulff A baseball reporter once asked a coach of long and varied experience what were his fondest memories of a lifetime in the game. The coach was removing his uniform after a spring training workout, an aging man whose shrunken chest and loose-fitting skin made him seem–to anyone but an experienced denizen of baseball clubhouse–incredibly out-of-place in that world of speed and muscle and skill. Yet, at the same time, the entire history of baseball seemed to reside in the gray stubble on his face, the wrinkles in his neck, the dry flesh on his arms and legs. “Which stories do you want?” he asked the reporter. “The true ones or the other ones?”



________1. The main audience for “From Baseball Anecdotes” is a. people who are curious about baseball coaching. b. people who who believe coaches should be athletic. c. people who are interested in baseball d. people who read magazines about athletes and coaches. ________2. The author's purpose in writing this reading is to a. argue. b narrate. c. inform. d describe. ________3. The author's tone in this reading is a. objective. b. sentimental. c. surprised. d. admiring.